440 Savage and Wyman, External Characters, 
than in the congeners. The natural attitude of the Orangs on 
the ground is semi-erect, aided and supported by one or both 
of their long arms ; the Chimpanzées and Orangs resting on 
their callous knuckles, and the Engé-enas on the palms of tbeir 
hands. If they at any time support themselves on their legs 
alone, their heads droop, the trunk is bent forwards, the 
thighs are flexed, and their feet inverted, all which necessarily 
results from the mechanical arrangements of their skel- 
eton. The foramen magnum and (consequently the occipital 
condyles), instead of being situated in the middle of the base 
of the skull as in man, is situated in the middle of the pos- 
terior third, from which results the greater preponderance of 
the head forwards.’ 
The vertebral column is concave throughout nearly the 
whole of its anterior face, and in the lumbar region especially, 
deviates from the form of that of the human body, in which 
it is strongly convex. ‘This results from the anterior portions 
of the bodies of the lumbar vertebra in the Orangs having 
. the vertical diameter of the anterior face shorter than that of 
the posterior, so that when they are piled one above another, 
the superior ones incline forwards, and will necessarily cause 
the whole superimposed trunk to preponderate in that direc- 
tion, consequently throwing the centre of gravity forward in à 
proportional degree. 
The bent position of the body necessarily involves a greater 
or less flexion of the legs, in order that a portion of its lower 
part should be thrown behind the centre of gravity, to compen- 
sate ina measure forthe upper portion including the head, 
which is thrown in front of it. 
jdence 
1 The position of this foramen in the Orangs is correctly regarded as an e cunis 
of degradati ion. Semmering has imagined that an approach to it existed in 
ween an) 
rm 
X. aue ap inthe 3 
vx Urat that of the Caucasians ; so that the difference between the Nese 
* 
